


A Tale of Three Sisters

by IrisCalasse



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Gen, Sibling Love, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23263798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrisCalasse/pseuds/IrisCalasse
Summary: Andromeda hears that her sisters' marriages have been arranged.
Relationships: Bellatrix Black Lestrange & Narcissa Black Malfoy & Andromeda Black Tonks
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	A Tale of Three Sisters

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on my blog (https://elvenbunnywrites.wordpress.com/). It was written in 2013 as a contest entry for the Hogwarts Extreme RPG (www.hexrpg.com) Sisters Black Writing Contest.

“I’m running away!”

I look at Bella in surprise, and suddenly it strikes me that people shouldn’t think that she looks anything like me. I’m older by all of eleven months – but except for the color of our hair we could almost be twins, or that’s what most people say. (Bella’s hair is a thick mass of dark-as-night corkscrew curls, like everyone in the direct family line – even little Sirius and Regulus have got these wispy devil-may-care curls that leave no question why the family name is Black. Not me, though; I do have thick waves, but they’re definitely brown…) ‘Bella is a Black through and through. Dro has got her mother’s hair, but still, you can’t mistake her for anything other than Bella’s sister. Put them in wigs and they’re exactly alike!’ Things like that, I’ve heard them all before. And it’s generally been okay.

But looking at Bella right now, I think, how can _anyone_ think that we are anything alike?

Right now, Bella is almost scary.

I pretend that I’m calm, to try to get Bella to simmer down. “Why would you do that?”

“Mother’s betrothed me to Rodolphus Lestrange!”

“Ah,” I say. Well, we always knew it would happen. Black family tradition decrees that we can only marry purebloods. I was arranged to marry Rabastan Lestrange when I turned eight; Bella is twelve now, Mother was probably waiting to see if Frank Longbottom was any sort of decent match and it turned out no. I give Bella a crooked smile. “Well, isn’t that nice? We won’t only be sisters, we’ll be sisters-in-law too!”

In reply, Bella gives me The Stare, a glare that a basilisk would envy. And then I remember: Bella has her eye on someone. Edward Jacobs, or was it Jacob Edwards? A completely forgettable name…

“What about Prince then?”

Both Bella and I look around to see our little sister, Cissy, leaning over the banister and giving us a sweet smile. Like me, Cissy does not have Black hair. Her hair is very pale gold, almost white, giving the impression of a halo. Mother’s little angel. Actually, Cissy is only angelic when she wants you to do something for her… but she’s just so cute when she’s being nice that you forget that nine-year-olds have no right being that doll-like; she’s impossible to resist even if you know her tricks. The only person who’s ever been able to resist her is Bella – and then only sometimes. So now, even though she was plainly eavesdropping, I ignore that and ask instead, “Prince who?”

Bella gives me The Stare again. Ohhhh… her boy. (I was completely wrong about his name.) I shoot her a glance that is supposed to say “Sorry”. I’m not sure if she understands, but she moves The Stare from me to Cissy, who shudders in mock horror. “Oooh, chills!” she says, then ruins it by telling me: “Gaston Prince? The guy Bella’s dating?”

Bella grows red – something all three of us sisters have in common; we all have very thin, pale, and delicate skin, and when we blush it is obvious is less time than it takes to Apparate. “We were only thinking of it,” Bella mumbles, and Cissy grins before turning towards me.

“Hey Dro, guess what,” she says, her eyes twinkling merrily.

“Can’t,” I deadpan.

“Mother’s arranged a match for me too! To Lucius Malfoy!”

Another peal of giggles, which makes me realize that little Cissy is at least old enough to have a crush. Well, I can’t blame her. Lucius Malfoy is two years below me, also in Slytherin, likely to be a Prefect, and consistently receives fair marks – all of which have nothing to do with the fact that he has platinum-blonde hair and a face that belongs in one of those Muggle magazines that Olive Hornby keeps on bringing to class. (Okay, so I do look! That James Dean happens to be hot… Olive is Muggle-born, but she’s been my Potions partner since we were in second year, and she’s okay. Her boyfriend, Ted, is Muggle-born too, but even so he’s a Prefect, and not a bad sort either.)

“It’s just like a fairy tale, Dro,” Cissy sighs.

I try to make as positive a non-committal noise as possible, so I can satisfy Cissy and make her go away, without having Bella jump down my throat afterwards. Not that Bella can, mind you – I’m the eldest, she has to do what I say, and if she doesn’t I’ll tell on her to Daddy and he’ll make her – but I prefer to avoid trouble when I can.

Apparently my response worked for Cissy, because she floated away in her little dream-world, leaving me once more with my glowering middle sister.

“Cissy’s happy,” I remark casually. (Like a brainless git. WHY did I say that?)

Bella flares up. (I knew she would.) “Well good for her!” she spits out. “Hooray, pretty little baby Cissy got exactly what she wanted _again_! It’s not fair, Dro!”

“Well, we can’t all have fairy tale Princes,” I say.

(How much more of an idiot am I going to be?)

Bella’s face crumples, and a memory of her fifth birthday celebration flashbulbs in my brain: declaring that she’ll only marry her Prince Charming and Knight in Goblin-Made Armor, her One True Love. Bella sniffles, then remembers that she is trying to be grown-up. She gathers up her dignity. “YOU wouldn’t stand for it, you know you wouldn’t!” she accuses me.

What can I say now? She knows me well. The only reason I’ve done nothing about Rabastan Lestrange is because I’m not really interested in anyone yet; but if I were…

But what I would do has nothing to do with Bella. Poor romantic Bella, denying the truth… You won’t really run away, in the end, I think. You’ll lock your heart far away and throw away the key. You’ll make the best of a bad job and come out strong, just like you always do. Because you and I only look alike, but inside, we’re completely different.


End file.
